Freight-hoist.



R. W. WETHERILL.

FREIGHT HOIST.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.14.. 1910.

Patented 11211121, 1911. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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11. W. WETHERILL.

FREIGHT HOIST.

112211101121011 FILED MAR. 14. 1910.

Patented 1113.11.21, 1911.

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R. W. WEI'HERILL.

FREIGHT HOIST.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 14, 1910.

Patented 111211121, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD W. WETHERILL, OF AMBLER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. M. DODGE COMPANY, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT. I

FREIGHT-HOIST.

Specicat'on of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1910.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911. Serial No. 549,236.

Vheavier the load the greater the pressure, so

that the pressure will always overbalance the weight of the article being lifted.

A still further object of the invention is to make the shoes flexible so as to accommodate any irregularities in the freight to be lifted, and to make the gripping members very narrow so that they can pass between stones and other objects to be lifted.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l, 1s a perspective view showing my improved gripping mechanism in the act of lifting a stone; Fig. 2, is a side view of my improved grip mechanism in the closed position; Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 3 3, Fig. 4, showing the lnechanism extended to the full extent; Fig. 4, is a section on the line i- 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5, is a perspective view of one of the rope sheaves; Fig. 6, is a sectional view on the line 6 6, Fig. 4; and Fig. 7, is a view of a modilication.

A is the frame of the gripping mechanism made, in the present instance, of two side plates a, a connected together by cross bars a. Mounted in this frame is a shaft B on which are mounted the sheaves Z), b and c, c', and between each of the sheaves Z2, b and c, c are drums e, e.

'D, D are the gripping members which preferably move parallel with each other toward and from the center of the device and are connected to the frame A by parallel links E, E. The links E are mounted on pivot pins C, C on the upper portion of the frame A and pivotally connected to the gripping members at d. The links E are connected at their outer ends to pins d located midway between the ends of the gripping members D, and at their inner ends to pivot pins C C as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The links E in the present instance are provided with gear segments E2 at their inner ends which intermesh and tend to make the gripping members Work in unison.

On the lower end of each gripping member is a shoe D which grips the material to be lifted. On each pin d are rope drums F having as many grooves as desired, in the present instance each drum has five grooves, and reeved on these rope drums is the rope the ends of which are guided around the sheaves c, c to the point of attachment of the crane or other support. By pulling on the rope f the gripping members are drawn toward each other.

I preferably mount a casing (Z2 on each gripping' member to protect the rope drums, and this casing has a series of guides cl3 to retain the reeving of the rope in its grooves. In order to separate the gripping' members I provide arms G, G; the arm G is connected, in the present instance, to the pin d of one of the gripping members, as shown in Fig. 3, by a rope g and is also connected by a rope g to the sheaves b, the rope g being adapted to be coiled upon the drum e, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Attached to the sheaves Z) is a rope b2 and when power is applied to this rope it causes the sheave to turn and wind the rope g on the drum F. A similar arrangement is used in coupling the arm G', the said arm is mounted on the pivot d of one of the gripping members and projects as shown in Fig. 3, a rope g2 is attached to the pivot d of the gripping member and to the end of the arm G and a rope g3 is attached to the arm G and sheaves 7). This rope g3 is arranged to pass around the drum e. A rope b3 is also attached to the sheave b. In the present instance the ropes g, g and g2, g3 are formed from two single lengths running from the pivot cl to the sheaves ZJ, 7) respectively and are fixed to the arms G, G by wedge pins g, g5. Or the ropes g, g, and g3 may be separate lengths and attached in any desired manner to the arms G, G respectively. In some instances the arms may form an integral part of one of the gripping members, as shown in Fig. 7, in which G2 is an arm integral with the gripping member D, dispensing with the ropes g and g2.

When power is applied to the ropes b2, b3 and the other ropes are slack, then the weight of the mechanism causes the gripping members to open to the positionshown in Fig. 3. I preferably provide guards for the several sheaves Z1, ZJ', c, c', and these guards are slotted for the passage of the ropes, thus insuring the retaining of the ropes in position on the sheaves. In some instances instead of the ropes g, g2 being attached directly to the pivot pin d on one of the grip members, they may be attached directly to the gripping members at any point below the pivot pin cl, or to a transverse bar located in close proximity to the pivot pin d, if desired.

The shoes D are pivotally mounted at the ends of the gripping members so as to accommodate themselves to any irregularities in the object to be lifted. The supporting bar D2 is pivotally mounted at each end in the gripping member and the shoes D are connected to the supporting bar by a vertical pivot d4, so that each shoe swings on a horizontal pivot as well as on a vertical pivot.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows z-The mechanism is supported from a crane or other suitable overhead structure and the ropes are connected to a power driven hoisting mechanism. Vhen the ropes b2, b3 are taut and the ropes f, f are slack, then the gripping members are -forced apart so as to pass down on each side of the stone or other article to be lifted; then as soon as tension is applied to the ropes f and the ropes b2, b3 are slack, the gripping members are moved toward the stone, gripping it with sufficient pressure to prevent the stone slipping when lifted. In the present instance the reeving of the rope f is five to one, so that the lateral pressure of the mechanism is five times the weight of the article to be lifted, therefore, a stone can be readily picked up'without slipping as the frictional pressure overcomes the dead weight. As soon as the stone or other article is raised to the point desired the ropes b2, b3 are placed under tension and the ropes 7, f are released and the jaws open, allowing the article to be disengaged from the hoist.

I claim l. The combination in a hoist of a frame, gripping members, parallel links connecting each of the gripping members with the frame, a shaft 011 each gripping member, means operable on the shafts to bring the gripping members closer together, arms pivotally mounted on one of the shafts, a member connecting the arms with the gripping members, and means for actuating the arms to move the said gripping members apart.

2. The combination in a hoist of a frame, gripping members, parallel links connecting each of the gripping members with the frame, two pivot pins on each gripping member, means operable on a pivot pin on each gripping member to bring the gripping members closer together, arms pivoted on one end to a pivot pin on a gripping member, means connecting the free ends of the arms to a pivot on a gripping member, and means operable on the arms to move the gripping members apart.

3. The combination in a hoist, of a frame, two gripping members, parallel links connecting the said gripping members to the frame, a rope drum on each gripping member, a transverse shaft on the frame, a series of sheaves on the said shaft, a rope passing around the drumson the gripping members and .around the sheaves on the said shaft, a second pair of ropes passing around the other sheaves and attached to the gripping members, and an arm pivoted to one of the gripping members and attached to the rope so that on placing tension on one set of ropes the gripping members will be moved apart,l

and when placing tension on the other set of ropes the gripping members will be moved toward each other.

Ll. The combination in a hoist, of a frame, a transverse shaft mounted on the frame, four sheaves mounted on the shaft, two drums, two gripping members, one on each side of the frame, two pairs of parallel links pivoted to the frame and to the gripping members, a rope drum on each gripping member, a rope passing around the said drums and over two of the sheaves, a pair of arms pivoted to one of the gripping-members near the upper end, said arms being flexibly connected to the said gripping member below the pivot pin, and a rope attached to each of said arms, one rope passing around one drum on the shaft and the other passing around the other drum, and each rope being connected to a shaft, with a second set of ropes connected to said shafts, so

that on pulling the seco-nd set of ropes the gripping members will be moved apart, and by pulling on the first mentioned ropes the gripping members will be drawn together.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD WV. VVETHERILL.I

lVitnesses:

WVM. E. SI-iurn, p WM. A. BARR.

Copie; of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. l 

